--- title: "Panama Canal Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/caribbean/panama-canal description: "The shortcut that changed the world" --- # Panama Canal 🇵🇦 · Panama · Caribbean > "The shortcut that changed the world" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1.2 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 6.6h - **Visiting Sailings:** 164 - **Cruise Lines:** 8 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Apr (41 sailings), Jan (39 sailings), Feb (18 sailings) ## About Panama Canal The Panama Canal transit is a full-day experience. Ships enter from either the Caribbean (Atlantic) side through the Gatun Locks or from the Pacific side through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. The newer Agua Clara locks handle the largest container ships. The channel passes through Gatun Lake, a large artificial lake surrounded by rainforest where you can sometimes spot wildlife from the deck. If your ship stops at Gatun Lake or Colón on the Caribbean side, excursions typically include the Miraflores Locks Visitor Centre (with a viewing platform and museum), a boat trip through the lake, or a visit to the embera indigenous village. Colón itself has a duty-free zone but the surrounding area requires caution. Panama uses the US dollar alongside the Balboa (which is pegged 1:1). Spanish is the main language but English is spoken in tourist areas. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** PAB (PAB) - **Language:** Spanish - **Timezone:** America/Panama (UTC-5) ## Location Coordinates: 9.0789, -79.6681 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Panama%20Canal/@9.07889,-79.66809,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Panama%20Canal&ll=9.07889,-79.66809&z=13) ## Things to Do in Panama Canal Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~7h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Kayaking tour in the Chagres River](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/bf70eafb-4e74-400e-80a5-dd0cb86f90a1.md?via=markdown) | 4.7★ (14) | 3h 45m | ✓ | €135 | Viator | | [Explore Panama Canal and Gatun Lake with Rainforest Jungle Walk](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/744f77d7-a3a7-4c4d-882c-e3578a9e6c99.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (104) | 4h 30m | – | €99 | Viator | | [City Tour: Miraflores Locks, Casco Viejo & Amador Causeway](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a57f6014-964f-4f0f-b915-3e917502bac7.md?via=markdown) | 4.9★ (87) | 5h | – | €82 | Viator | | [Private Fishing in the Panama Canal, Gatun Lake](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/c6dc4a24-54bf-4553-b2e3-76f0f41a572d.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (64) | 5h 30m | – | €227 | Viator | | [Guided Boat Expedition thru the Panama Canal + Premium Amenities](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/351293d8-9ee7-4295-8342-00c2ce08b7f1.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (4) | 3h 30m | ✓ | €64 | Viator | | [Soberania National Park Hike](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e5f393c7-ff63-440f-82bd-950b47c9fdf3.md?via=markdown) | 4.7★ (26) | 5h | – | €114 | Viator | | [Panama City: Cultural Tour at Embera Indigenous Village](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8caa8fd7-c3d9-4b61-9978-4a3182132d5c.md?via=markdown) | 4.9★ (8) | 5h | – | €109 | Viator | | [Night Adventure at Soberania National Park](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4221e5be-3e6d-4a05-8f7a-10efe5a58da0.md?via=markdown) | 5★ (1) | 3h | ✓ | €86 | Viator | | [Between Urban History and Engineering Feat, City and Canal](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/2fe5b369-bea0-455c-aee9-9fbcb8156ae4.md?via=markdown) | – | 4h | – | €55 | Viator | | [Lake expedition and hiking tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/f363ba43-602b-4fd2-aa1e-ea503ebbc407.md?via=markdown) | – | 5h | – | €90 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Panama City](https://cruisello.com/destinations/caribbean/panama-city.md): 13 nm - [Colon](https://cruisello.com/destinations/caribbean/colon.md): 22 nm - [Puerto Limon](https://cruisello.com/destinations/caribbean/puerto-limon.md): 206 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Carnival Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/carnival-cruise-line.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Disney Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/disney-cruise-line.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise →](https://cruisello.com/cruises/panama-canal-passage-cartagena-costa-rica~NCL-SUN-20261118-11.md)** - **Price:** €570 per person (€1,140 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - **Ship:** [Norwegian Sun](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line/norwegian-sun.md) - **Duration:** 11 nights - **Departure:** 2026-11-18 - **Itinerary:** Panama Canal Passage – Cartagena & Costa Rica ## Featured Cruises from Panama Canal Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Caribbean & Canal Adventure – Bahamas, Aruba & Panama](https://cruisello.com/cruises/caribbean-canal-adventure-bahamas-aruba-panama~NCL-SUN-20261106-12.md) | Norwegian Sun | Norwegian Cruise Line | 2026-11-06 | 12 | €768 | | [Canopy to Coast – Cartagena, Panama & Limon](https://cruisello.com/cruises/canopy-to-coast-cartagena-panama-limon~PCL-CB-20261111-12.md) | Caribbean Princess | Princess Cruises | 2026-11-11 | 12 | €740 | | [Galleon Trace – Cartagena, Colon & Limon](https://cruisello.com/cruises/galleon-trace-cartagena-colon-limon~HAL-NIEUW_AMSTERDAM-20261108-12.md) | Nieuw Amsterdam | Holland America Line | 2026-11-08 | 12 | €1,179 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Panama Canal](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=panama_canal) (164 sailings) ## Browse - [Caribbean cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/caribbean.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)